Jealousy Is Your Drug Of Choice
by dreamgurl
Summary: A CBNV story. Blair starts to get jealous when Chuck finds himself a new girl friend. Nate starts to regret leaving Vanessa to her own devices, even though he's got someone else, too.
1. A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

**Jealousy Is Your Drug Of Choice**

Author's Note: This story is speculation based on a **couple of spoilers** up through episode 8 and the promo for episode 9. Nate is living with the Humphreys and has started seeing Jenny, Chuck has opened up a bar and is now working with Vanessa. Everything else is something I have come up with in my little mind, lol.  
Summary: As Chuck and Vanessa start to get closer, Nate and Blair start to rethink the current situation with their ex-lovers.

THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO **MIA**, THE SWEETEST LITTLE CB FAN YOU WILL EVER MEET. Happy birthday! :D

--

**Chapter One: A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words**

Vanessa felt her entire world crashing beneath her feet. She couldn't believe her eyes: her ex-boyfriend was locking lips with her best friend—her sister, practically—in an embrace that moved straight past passionate and directly into intimate. Like maybe they'd been doing it for a while.

Jenny broke away from the kiss and her eyes met Vanessa's gaze by pure accident. The joy in one girl's face was only matched by the pain in the other's. As hard she tried, Vanessa could not keep the feeling of betrayal from taking over her entire expression, watching in horror as Jenny's face changed from unadulterated happiness to shock and distress.

Unwittingly, she shifted her gaze to look at Nate, and the pity etched in his brow was worse than anything imaginable. Pity—not even remorse—like he himself had no feelings that could be directed at her, and instead he was worried about the ones she had left lingering somewhere.

Without a single word, she turned herself around and walked out the door without congratulating Jenny on her first fashion show, ignoring the little girl's (because, yes, she was still _just a child_) anxious cries of, "Vanessa, wait! Please!"

Nate, of course, didn't say anything to stop her. Why should he care?

* * *

Chuck entered his new bar, Joe's Pub, practically humming to himself. He couldn't believe how well his days had been going lately—his dad was actually _proud_ of him for turning the bar around (and after that ridiculous fight over the "mismanagement" of Victrola, it was about time Bart discovered his son could do something right), Blair was actually speaking civilly to him for a change (no love-making yet, but he'd be sure to make progress in that area after another week or so) …And then there was Vanessa Abrams.

Never in his life would Chuck have thought he could find someone else's friendship so satisfying—well, someone else whose name wasn't Nathaniel, obviously. But, after the first few initial missteps and trust issues, Vanessa had really been there for him in the few short weeks he'd gotten to know her.

She was the reason he even had the bar in the first place, since she chewed Bart out for not trusting his own son. Chuck rolled his eyes and laughed at the memory. Only a Brooklyn-bred girl would have the balls to stand up to Bart Bass. And it was probably her 'background' that made Bart soften a little and take into account what she had to say. Because only people who have worked for what they have are worth listening to, right?

The sound of shuffling in the corner brought Chuck back to the present time, and he noticed Vanessa was already hard at work, sweeping invisible specks of dust with an insane fury. Girl never knew when to stop.

"V, we're not even open yet. You can give it a rest sometimes, you know," he chided lightly, setting down his things behind the counter and positioning himself to grab the broom from her.

Vanessa just shook her head silently and kept going at the floor as if it had just killed her dog.

Chuck leaned over to get a closer look at just what was going on, and that was when he saw the tear stains (more like _streaks_) running down her face. Oh, shit. He wondered if maybe she hadn't actually noticed him come in. That way he could slowly back away, leave, and pretend he had never seen this terrible vision.

But, then again, that would be a supremely pathetic thing to do. He took a deep breath as his mind raced with possibilities. What could he do? He couldn't buy her a diamond necklace, because Vanessa didn't like jewelry that wasn't created out of homemade friendship bracelet kits. Besides, he had never bought jewelry for any girl who wasn't Blair. He couldn't give her a hangover cure like he always did for Serena because he doubted Vanessa had ever _had_ a hangover. What else could he do? **Talk **about it? He shuddered.

"…Vanessa, are you…" he began, slowly working up the courage to form a complete sentence. "Okay?"

Surprisingly, Vanessa dropped the broom and let it fall to the floor with a loud clang, then sat on a bar stool and looked up at Chuck. He waited patiently for her response as he poured out a nice, soothing scotch that she probably would refuse and he would have to end up drinking himself.

Vanessa actually grabbed the drink out of his hands when he was finished making it and downed it with an intensity he had never seen before. When she was done swallowing it and his eyes were done bugging out of his head, she started to speak. "I'm just so stupid. I don't know what I was expecting. I mean, **of course** he's going to move on. He has every right to. I shouldn't be upset. It's just…" Her eyes began tearing up again, and he desperately wished he had not thought it best to have this discussion. "Did it have to be with _her_? She's practically my best friend."

"Slow down there, Abrams," he said in as comforting a voice as he could manage, pulling a monogrammed handkerchief out of his pocket so that she could dab her eyes if need be. "I only understood about a quarter of the things you just said. Such as 'just' and 'I.' Everything else was kind of a blur."

She wiped her cheeks with the proffered instrument and repeated her story with a calmer demeanor. "I know I was the one that screwed things up with Nate. And now I'm the one that gets left behind, floundering, while he goes on to have a perfectly satisfying romantic life with **Jenny**."

Chuck scowled at the mention of the littlest Humphrey's name. Nate was ditching Vanessa for _that_? His best friend clearly wouldn't know a girl worthy of his time if she slapped him in the face and kneed him in the balls. "I hate to say this, but I know exactly how you feel." He had been the one to let everything go to waste with Blair, but that didn't stop it from hurting like hell whenever he had to see her with another guy or, you know, just not _with him_.

He looked Vanessa over and decided she was in no condition to be working this evening. Assuming a business patron stance, he straightened out his tie and declared sternly, "Well, Miss Abrams, I'm afraid we can't have you frightening the customers in this state. Why don't you take the day off?"

Vanessa stared at him incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious," he replied in his normal tone. "I'll call the limo for you. You go home, feel better. Maybe we'll get some ice cream later?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not six, Chuck."

He grinned. "I was going to offer some comfort sex around, but I think I've been rejected one too many times this week."

A few minutes later, they were standing on the street as the limo arrived to whisk Vanessa away to the depths of East Williamsburg. Before getting in, Vanessa stopped to give Chuck a thank-you hug, leaving him a little confused as to what he should do with his hands. Around the time he realized he should perhaps place them on her back—lower than her shoulders but not **too** low—a socialite-wannabe spotted them and snapped her very first Gossip Girl-worthy photo op.

* * *

Blair stared down at the evil little picture popping out from her phone, leering at her. Chuck and **Vanessa**? It wasn't possible. It just wasn't. He would never do that to her. Okay, fine, so maybe he wasn't doing anything to Blair _specifically_, considering she was the one who kept constantly pushing him away. But didn't he know she was just waiting for him to prove himself? To go and do something like this was the exact opposite of proving himself. She rolled her eyes. If this was an attempt to make her jealous, then he was failing miserably.

Or maybe not totally failing, since she could feel the corners of her eyes stinging with angry tears that were threatening to leak out and let the whole Social Events Committee of Constance know she cared what Chuck Bass did. But **he** would certainly never find out. In fact, she wasn't even going to speak to him anymore—that would teach him. If it was true, of course.

Which, obviously, it wasn't. Because Chuck would never do that to Nate (again). He had only gone after Blair because he really cared about her, right? _Oh, my God_, her brain froze momentarily and she felt like she had a pounding migraine. _What if Chuck __**cares**__ about Vanessa?_ What if Chuck had managed to find the capacity to love within his empty, dead soul and decided to bestow it on **Vanessa fucking Abrams** because Blair had been so unresponsive?

Blair quietly excused herself from the after-school meeting to go find Chuck, feigning cramps amidst all the pitying looks of girls who were chatting about the exact same photo that was haunting her at the moment. Who cared what these girls thought? Chuck Bass belonged to Blair Waldorf, and she would make sure everyone knew it by the start of school on Monday.

* * *

Saturday morning, she made her way up to the Bass-Van der Woodsen penthouse with a steely determination in her gut. She would confront Chuck about this once and for all, even if she had to give him an inkling of her affections in order to do so. This game had gone on long enough. If he had to stoop so low as to use _Vanessa_ to make her jealous, then the poor boy was clearly desperate. She would be magnanimous and give him a chance to explain himself.

When the elevator pinged and she was let out, however, it became clear that she wasn't the only one Chuck needed to explain himself to. She may as well have been invisible, seeing as her entrance was being completely ignored in favor of an all-out brawl between Nate and Chuck. She hid herself behind the wall and listened in, the feeling in the pit of her stomach growing at an alarming rate. Why would Chuck and Nate fight if there were nothing going on with Vanessa?

"What the hell is your problem, man?" Nate yelled, grabbing Chuck by the collar of his shirt.

"The question is: what's **your** problem?" Chuck replied, not quite as calmly as he was wont to do. "I haven't done anything to you. **You're **the one who treats V like shit, and then expects her to wait around for you to make your way back eventually."

Nate threw Chuck down on the couch. "Don't you _dare_ give me that cock and bull story again. Did you 'care' about Vanessa, too? Did she just 'need' someone?"

Chuck growled and got himself back up, but did not retaliate any of Nate's blows. "You don't even know what happened, so why don't you just calm the fuck down?" All Nate (or **anyone**, for that matter) ever did was jump to conclusions about him, and Chuck was pretty damn tired of it. Why should he be forever setting the record straight if people were always going to think the same things about him?

"For your information," he continued in a deadly tone. "Yes, I _do_ care about Vanessa. More than you will ever care for any person in your life. And, yes, **of course** she needed someone. Just because you have the ability to forget about people and move on in three seconds flat doesn't mean everyone else works the same way. Obviously, you were too busy playing tonsil hockey with a _sophomore_ to notice that your ex-girlfriend might not appreciate you going at it with her best friend."

Blair sucked in a breath, almost forgetting to be quiet in her shock. It was a repeat of last year, except she wasn't the person in the middle this time. So Chuck had moved on, and now _she_ was the one left behind. Wasn't this what she wanted? For him to leave her alone and go bug someone else? She had no one to blame but herself. She was so distraught, she didn't even realize she was crying until she touched her face and felt how wet it was.

"We are so through, Chuck. As of this moment, forget you ever thought of me as your friend," Nate spat out as he made his way to the elevator, not even taking note of Blair's presence on his way out.

"I don't need friends like you, asshole!" Chuck cried out after him, punching a couch pillow once Nate was out of sight.

Blair wiped away her tears and took advantage of Nate's exit to pretend she had just gotten out of the elevator.

"Uh oh, your boyfriend looks pissed," she teased as she breezed through the living room, doing her best to hold back any unwanted tears.

The color drained from Chuck's face a little bit when he saw Blair walk in, "Look, Blair, about this whole—"

"Don't worry about it. Vanessa deserves better than Nate," she interrupted with a cheery little chirp. "Is Serena in? I was hoping we could do some shopping."

Chuck nodded and pointed to her room, then slumped down on the sofa when she had made her escape. Why did Gossip Girl have to stick her nose in _everything_? When he wasn't using her for his own devious purposes, he swore he'd like to rip her apart.


	2. Wrecked With Looks And Flirts

**Jealousy Is Your Drug Of Choice**

Author's Note: Part of this chapter uses a **spoiler picture from an upcoming episode**. Basically Chuck and Blair are in front of his limo, and she is curiously sitting on the limo at one point and wearing some sexy thigh-high stockings. Everything else is my invention.  
Summary: As Chuck and Vanessa start to get closer, Nate and Blair start to rethink the current situation with their ex-lovers.

--

**Chapter Two: Wrecked With Looks And Flirts**

Blair did not enjoy a single second of her time spent shopping with Serena. From Barney's to Bendel's, she could not find a single article of clothing or piece of jewelry to ease her aching soul. She had tried her best to keep her mouth shut about the Chanessa rumors (Or should she call them Vuck? Which name sounded more vomit inducing?), not wanting to burden her best friend with her current romantic dilemmas. And especially not when Serena might let something slip to her stepbrother. Who knew how seriously the Van der Basses took their family bonds, anyway?

By the time they made it to dessert, though, Blair felt like she was going to burst.

"What is Chuck doing with Vanessa _Abrams_?" She asked in an outrage, stabbing her gelato with a plastic spoon. "How is he just able to move on so quickly?"

Serena shrugged. "It took you, what, twelve hours to move on with Marcus?" She pointed out, causing Blair to bristle. It's not like any moving on had actually _occurred_ with Marcus. She was still stuck pining for Chuck, wasn't she?

"Besides, what are you even talking about?" Serena continued. "Nothing's going on with Chuck and Vanessa. They're just friends."

Blair shot her look that simultaneously said 'Are you **serious**?' and 'If you breathe a word of this conversation to anyone, I will murder you in your sleep.'

"Didn't you hear the fight Chuck and Nate had over her?" Blair asked desperately. "Chuck _clearly_ cares about her." She could feel a wetness prickling at the corner of her eyes and tried to remember that Audrey Hepburn would not have cried in this situation.

"Yeah, Chuck cares about her, but he also cares about me," Serena said, smiling ever so slightly. "I don't see you getting jealous about that."

Blair rolled her eyes angrily. "I am **not** jealous!" She nearly shrieked. Upon noticing that people in the restaurant were eyeing her curiously, she took her voice down several notches. "And this is different," she confided in a tone that betrayed a little more hurt than she would have liked. "He's just so… well, _protective_ of her."

Serena reached over the table and gave her best friend's hand a comforting squeeze. "B, I heard the same fight you did. I heard more, actually. And I promise you, all I got out of it was that Chuck was getting mad at Nate for being a teensy bit hypocritical."

She could see, though, that her words were having little or no effect on Blair, who was obviously lost in her own world of self-inflicted pain. Pulling her hand away and hopping a little in her seat, she did her best to come up with a logical solution. "If you want Chuck back, all you have to do is fight for him. It's not that hard."

Blair's back straightened and she looked at Serena incredulously, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Fight for Chuck? Expose her vulnerability to the world so that he could eschew it with a firm hand? No, thank you. She already knew where that road led—either she got called a horse or she got left stranded in a small European country.

"You've got to be kidding me, S," Blair replied icily. "I'm not going to fight for a lost cause."

"Listen to me, Blair," Serena chided in a much sterner tone than usual. "You're **Blair Waldorf**. And what Blair wants, Blair gets. Am I right?"

Blair mulled over her options for a second. She liked the sound of this motto—it had quite the ring to it. And what kind of romantic heroine would she be if she just gave up in the middle of the movie? What a way to let down the adoring public.

"You're right," she agreed finally. "Vanessa is going to regret the day she ever decided to start moving in on my leftovers."

* * *

Nate and Jenny met up at her favorite little coffee shop in Brooklyn (where Vanessa thankfully no longer worked) to have their daily make-out session. They had each given Rufus a different excuse for leaving the house so that they could spend some time together away from prying eyes. Most days it was bliss, but today everything seemed a little bit off.

Nate had always had the image of Rufus and Dan staring him down like he was devil tucked away in the back of his mind when he was with Jenny. She was great to hang out with (not to mention a pretty damn good kisser, considering her lack of experience), but he couldn't help feeling immensely guilty for taking advantage of the Humphreys' hospitality in this crude manner. He had to constantly remind himself that he really liked Jenny and that he would want to see her even if he wasn't sleeping on her brother's bedroom floor.

That was harder to do at the moment, though, because all he could think about right now—while he was kissing Jenny, mind you—was the devastated look on Vanessa's face when she had seen the two of them together. Even worse, that image kept being immediately replaced by her look of pure joy while wrapped up in Chuck's embrace.

He couldn't believe it. Was Chuck right? Had he really pushed Vanessa directly into his best friend's open arms? Maybe it was all his fault, after all. What right did he have to dictate whom Vanessa could date after he had ditched her so unceremoniously? _And to think all she wanted to do was help me._ But, then again, that seemed to be all **anyone **wanted to do. Help Nate out of jams without running it by him first, as if he was some 10-year old boy with brain damage who couldn't fend for himself. At least with Jenny, he actually felt needed.

Oh, right. Jenny. He had stopped kissing her about 30 seconds ago and had taken instead to staring out of the nearest window, having practically forgotten she was sitting in front of him.

"Hello? Earth to Nate?" She giggled girlishly, and he remembered just how young she was. Not young enough to be a problem, but maybe too young to understand everything he was going through. She listened to his problems, yeah, and she always gave advice. But it was the kind of advice she had committed to memory, after having learned it religiously from her elders. Having learned it, most likely, from Vanessa.

"Huh? Sorry," he replied absent-mindedly, taking her hand in his own but keeping his thoughts elsewhere.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked with a smile, ready to hand out her golden nuggets of wisdom when the time came.

"How is Vanessa doing?" He inquired, not having heard her last question but managing to answer it effectively regardless. "Have you two patched things up yet?"

Jenny's face fell, and she didn't know if it was more from worry over her tattered relationship with the best girl friend she had betrayed, or over the fact that her boyfriend was asking her questions about his ex. "We're not really talking about it," she sighed. "I went over to her place yesterday. She was really nice to me, but I can tell she's not happy with me right now."

Nate nodded slowly. Of course Vanessa would be nice to Jenny. That's what Vanessa was: a **nice **person. _That, and she's probably too busy being blissful with Chuck to care_, he added to himself, his mind boiling over in surprising anger.

He decided to fish for some information in as nonchalant a voice as he could manage. "But, why would she have a problem with us?" He asked, reminding himself to sound calm and detached. "Isn't she with Chuck now?"

Jenny eyed him curiously, trying to decide what was safe to say out loud. "So I guess that means you saw the Gossip Girl post, huh?"

"I might have glanced at it," he replied with a shrug.

Jenny's lips pressed into a thin line and her shoulders sagged almost imperceptibly. There was a mini-battle of her conscious raging within her, and the side that valued honesty in relationships somehow managed to win out after a few torturous seconds.

"I mean, Chuck and V are close now, yeah. But they're definitely not together. Vanessa and Dan are always joking about Chuck's obsession with Blair, you know."

Nate leaned back in his chair, unable to decide if he wanted to grin or punch something. On the bright side, Vanessa was still single. On the not-so-bright side, he still had a girlfriend (whom he was unfortunately living with), and he had tried to beat up his best friend for no reason at all. _Just great_.

* * *

Sunday morning, after waking up at dawn and spending hours agonizing over the perfect outfit, Blair made her way over to the Van der Woodsen-Bass residence to wait for Chuck to come out. She had asked Dorota to call Chuck's limo driver, Arthur (he and Dorota were friends and—Blair hoped—also secret lovers), to confirm that Chuck would indeed be heading out.

Now she was dressed at possibly her most risqué ever, for the start of the day, anyway. She had settled for a school uniform of sorts, thinking Chuck probably had his little Catholic schoolgirl fantasies just like any other red-blooded American boy, but with the extra touch of sexy silk thigh-high stockings. She had practiced sitting on several surfaces to make sure the skirt rode up precisely enough to reveal a hint of skin without showing off any underwear.

She looked perfect, and Chuck would soon not remember the name of any other girl. Especially not any girl who came from Brooklyn.

She greeted Arthur, brought him a cheese Danish courtesy of Dorota, and hopped onto the hood of the limo in preparation for Chuck's arrival.

Chuck walked out of the building minutes later and his eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight of a very perky-looking Blair sitting atop his limo, legs crossed, waiting for him.

"Well, well, Waldorf," he muttered appreciatively. "You certainly know how to brighten my day."

"I just came to bring Serena some of Dorota's delicious Sunday brunch," Blair informed him, making sure to twirl a strand of hair around her finger as she spoke.

Her statement stumped him for a moment. "Did you? I didn't see you."

"I can be very quiet when I want to be," she assured him, pouting her lips and hoping he noticed her new ruby red lipstick. She shifted her position slightly and prayed that it would have the same effect it had had when she tried it on her bed earlier that morning.

Chuck did not take much notice of Blair's lips because his eyes were glued to her legs, watching them carefully as they uncrossed and crossed again in the opposite direction, causing her skirt to ride up and reveal the end of her tights and the beginning of her creamy white thighs. He wanted to cover her up so no one else could see, then shove her into the backseat of the limo and have her all to himself. But he couldn't, because he couldn't actually tear his eyes away from her long enough to accomplish all of that.

Blair could see that Chuck was getting, well, _interested_, and she fought hard to keep the devilish grin at bay. Her work was not done yet. "I was just wondering if you could give me a ride home?" She asked, holding her hand out for him to let her down.

Chuck automatically reached to take her hand, and the contact sent an electric jolt through both of them. He put his other hand on her back to help her steady herself as he let her off the hood, and she grabbed onto his jacket sleeve for no reason whatsoever.

Now they were both leaning against the passenger door, and Chuck thought about how Arthur probably hated him. But he didn't really care. "I'd love to take you home," he said in a throaty voice.

Blair almost gulped at the effect his voice _still_ had on her, and her hand almost unconsciously moved to caress his face. She heard the words she was about to say echo in her mind before she even spoke and nearly cringed, but she couldn't stop them from coming out.

"Maybe you could stay a little while?"

Chuck made an effort not to groan at how good that idea sounded, but then remembered he had a prior engagement. "I'm supposed to stop by the bar right now," he said regretfully.

"The bar?" Blair repeated with a dangerous flash of her eyes, her hand immediately dropping from the side of Chuck's face.

"Yeah," he replied. "Vanessa's got some ideas for redecorating the place, and I told her I would check them out." Leaning in to whisper in her ear, he continued, "But I think I could make a detour for you."

Blair felt like she was about to vomit. She pushed him away violently. "I am not a **detour**!" She cried in a shrilly voice that she wished did not belong to her. What was she—some kind of bachelor party before he went off to live a stable life with Vanessa?

"Blair," Chuck tried to placate her by holding her hand, but she wrenched it away. "I didn't mean anything by that. I just wanted—"

"Ugh, I don't care _what_ you want," she interrupted. "I hate you, Chuck!" She added for extra emphasis as she walked away, nearly tripping over her heels. Stupid heels. She was throwing them away the second she got home. "I hope you have tons of fun playing house with your little Brooklyn girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend!" He called out after her, but it was no use. She was not turning back. _What the fuck? _Now he was just left totally confused—not to mention **extremely** unsatisfied.

He got into the limo and slammed the door noisily shut. "What the fuck?" He repeated out loud to no one in particular.

The screen divider came down and Arthur's voice piped up, "Mr. Bass, sir, I think you may have—"

Chuck turned sharply to his driver. "Arthur, did you just hear that out there?"

"Yes, sir, forgive me. I couldn't help but—"

"What the hell is her problem?" He asked, ignoring Arthur's requests for forgiveness.

"Well, sir, if you don't mind my saying… My interpretation is that Miss Waldorf wishes to be the only attractive young lady of your acquaintance."

Chuck thought that over for a moment. So Blair was **jealous**, huh? As in, jealous of Chuck Bass and the possibility of him hanging out with another girl? Perhaps wanting to mark Chuck as her own—despite the fact that there was nothing going on between them? Nothing going on between Chuck and _anyone_, sadly, but that was not the point.

He grinned. This had to be one of the most amazing feelings ever.

"So, what am I supposed to do about it?" Apparently his driver had a lot more than landmarks and directions stored up in that brain of his. Maybe household servants contained more valuable information than Chuck had ever given them credit for.

"Perhaps, Mr. Bass, you would think it wise to go after her and explain the situation?"

This idea was less than thrilling. All Chuck ever seemed to do lately was chase Blair down and explain situations. Let her stew over it for a couple more hours, _then_ he would give her the explanation she was just dying to hear.

"Why don't you just take me to the bar? I have an appointment, and I would hate to be late."


	3. Champagne For My Real Friends

**Jealousy Is Your Drug Of Choice**

Author's Note: There's a mini-extra **spoiler** from episode 2.07 here. Basically, Lily and Bart throw a party hosted by InStyle. That's it, lol. Also, Gossip Girl isn't mine except for in my wildest dreams.  
Summary: When Vanessa and Chuck start growing closer, Nate and Blair start growing worried.

--

**Chapter Three: Champagne For Your Real Friends**

Chuck arrived at Joe's Pub in time to see all the tables covered with a deep red velvet tablecloth. The place was darker than usual, except that the lamps along the walls had now been replaced by candles. Well, lamps that _looked_ like candles, anyway.

He took a deep breath and was surprised to find that he could smell incense burning. Looking around slowly, he tried to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. The entire place looked like the exact staging for a film-perfect seduction.

He started getting a little nervous. Either Blair was hiding somewhere, waiting for him, or Vanessa had gotten _entirely_ the wrong impression.

Clearing his throat, he called out, "Is anyone home?"

Vanessa popped up from behind the bar, wearing a gorgeous silver flapper dress with fishnet stockings and black heels (but still with her trademark curly hair and hoop earrings, of course). She looked sexy as hell, yes, but more importantly, she somehow managed to look… Elegant.

Chuck gulped. It was definitely the second option. _Oh, crap_.

"So, what do you think?" Vanessa chirped giddily, excited to hear what Chuck would say, but very worried at the same time. What if he hated it? After all the time she had spent working on it, it would be a shame to let it waste. She probably should have run it by him first. _Oh, well_. It was his money she was spending, anyway, she reminded herself.

"Um…What do I think of what?" He asked cautiously, hoping that maybe playing the Nate card would save him. Acting dumb always seemed to get Nate out of any sticky situation.

She gestured around the place as if the answer were obvious. "Of my new concept, duh!" She laughed nervously at the look of horror on his face, thinking perhaps she had overshot on the theme. Maybe he thought it was too trashy. But who knew that Chuck Bass would disapprove of trashy?

Chuck nearly choked as he registered what she was saying. The concept! Of the bar! Of course. He could have smacked himself on the head. The outfit she was wearing would thus be the uniform. He couldn't wait to see her drop kick any guy who tried to hit on her at work. Of course, he had to admit she was asking for it, a little bit.

"Oh, no. I see… It looks…" He searched for the right words. "It looks good. It looks…really classy." He nodded his head in approval, relieved to be out of the danger zone.

Vanessa stared at him, clearly judging him in her little judgy mind. "You think so? Because, I mean, you sound really surprised." She smiled teasingly. "Like maybe you don't think me capable of being classy. Since I'm from 'ugh, _Brooklyn_.'"

Chuck laughed. "I'm serious. It's great." Pretending to give her dress a once over, he added, "I'm a little worried about your uniform, though. I don't have enough street cred to protect you from nasty, drunken bikers."

She looked down at her outfit and blushed self-consciously. "Oh, God, no!" She gasped. "I would never wear **this** to work. Are you crazy?"

He eyed her quizzically, so she started to explain, "This was the outfit that…" She stopped momentarily, unsure of how to continue.

He stiffened once more. If it wasn't for work, why the hell was she wearing it?

She rolled her eyes at her own absurdity and continued, "Okay, you're probably going to hate this idea, and you can totally say no… But my sister, Ruby, has some friends that are _really_ good at singing jazz. And I know you like that sort of 'avant-garde but nostalgic' stuff…"

Off his raised brow, she smirked. "Hey, I read your business proposal for Victrola, okay? I do my research."

He smiled in admiration, and she marched forward with a proposal of her own. "So, I was thinking, we could have entertainment between certain hours, or on certain nights. I think it would be good for publicity. Not to mention the fact that my sister's friends could use the gig."

She hated being a leech and, even worse, hated to sound so needy, so she quickly added, "You could hire actual, **professional** people, obviously. They're just really good."

"A jazz club in Brooklyn?" Chuck remarked, liking the sound of it already. Bringing culture to the masses. Oh, his father would be proud. Okay, so maybe jazz had started in Harlem, so it wasn't necessarily _high _culture, but whatever. It would definitely be a proper addition to the Bass legacy.

"I love it," he declared triumphantly. "Let's make it happen. And your friends can definitely do it. I'll have to audition them, of course, but I'm sure they're good. If you say they are, I believe you."

Vanessa grinned and clapped her hands together. With the preliminaries out of the way, she remembered that Jenny and Dan had been blabbing on at coffee this morning about how Gossip Girl had 'caught' her and Chuck together, so she wanted to ask him how that went over with Blair. Hopefully he would slip in some information about Nate as well. Not that she had any right to ask about Nate, since he was dating her friend at all. But, still. It'd be nice to know he cared. Even a little bit.

She didn't get to ask right then, though, because Chuck's phone buzzed. He looked at the caller ID and picked up out of habit. When he heard Nate's "Hey…" on the other line, he realized his mistake.

"Archibald," he replied grimly, and Vanessa's eyebrows shot up against her will. Would it be wrong to ask Chuck to put the phone on speaker? _Boundaries, Abrams_, she chided herself.

"Come on, Chuck…" Nate said with a hint of nervous laughter, running his hand through his tousled hair as he thought of what to say. "Don't be like that. Jenny told me you're not dating Vanessa."

Chuck looked over at Vanessa and stepped out of the building before replying, not wanting to say anything that might offend her. She watched him leave and sighed. Looks like she'd have to wait around for second-hand information now.

--

"Oh, well, good to know you believe things that come out of little Humphrey's mouth before you believe me," Chuck spat once he was on the street.

"Look, man," Nate sighed into the phone. "I'm sorry, okay? I mean, you didn't really explain anyway, you know?"

"Yeah, but I **told** you nothing happened," he replied in a hurt tone. "I wouldn't lie to you. You should know that."

Now it was Nate's turn to be angry. "Oh, yeah? Then what do you call you and Blair, huh? Because that seemed like one **huge** lie to me."

Chuck groaned. "Did I lie to you at any point? Did I ever say, 'No, Nate, I am not sleeping with Blair at this time. I am not, in fact, making her happier than you ever could—'"

"First of all, are you fucking kidding me? Secondly, you didn't lie, okay, but you omitted a hell of a lot of truths. How am I even supposed to trust you after—"

"Oh, so you don't trust me anymore? That's great. I guess that's why you didn't tell me about a single one of your family problems all summer, and now all school year. I guess that's why you didn't come to me when your family got _evicted_ from your _house_ and you had to go live with the **Humphreys**."

Chuck took a breath and waited for Nate to respond. When he didn't, he jumped right back in. "Why did I have to find out about that from Vanessa? Why didn't _you _just tell me?"

Nate struggled to come up with a reply. "I don't know… I just thought you wouldn't understand, maybe? That you would just give me money and that would be the end of it? I don't want to be indebted to you, man."

"If you can't count on me anymore, and you can't trust me, and you don't _want_ anything from me… Why are we even friends?"

"Chuck…" Nate began, but then he froze.

After a full minute of silence, Chuck quietly said, "Never mind," and hung up.

Nate lay his head in his hands and leaned into the couch. He knew he should have been able to think of something to say, but he couldn't. Not right then, not on the spot like that. If he hadn't been afraid of how it would sound, he might have said, "Because I love you."

--

Chuck slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket and made his way inside the bar once more. He tried to shake off the previous conversation, but he could tell from the concerned look on Vanessa's face that the hurt was still in his eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked kindly, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he replied, lightly shrugging her away. He wasn't about to sit around and mope. It was time to take action. "Listen—I want you to come to this party with me tonight. InStyle is hosting an event in honor of my father and Lily, and Nate's definitely going to be there."

Vanessa sighed. "Yeah, but won't Jenny be there, too?"

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Not the point, Abrams. The point is that when Nathaniel sees you, wearing some drop-dead gorgeous dress that I will provide, he will fall head over heels and trip himself."

Vanessa couldn't help but smile at the thought. However, her conscience pricked at her, and she had to reply, "Jenny's my _friend_, Chuck."

"Yes, and if Jenny's your friend, she will understand that your history with Archibald trumps her three-second fling." He thought about himself and Nate, for a moment, and how that hadn't really worked out either way, but shrugged it off. He would find a way to make it up to Nate later, now that he knew what the real issue was.

Thinking it over some more, he added, "If you really want to be open and honest with her, then tell her you still have feelings for him and that you won't back down so easily."

Vanessa laughed. "And throw in how this shouldn't affect our friendship?"

"Well, _you're_ still friends with her after what she pulled, aren't you?" He pointed out, and she had to admit he was right.

Once all the details were worked out, Chuck said goodbye to Vanessa and headed out towards his next, more important destination. If he wanted to salvage anything out of the wreckage, he was going to have to take some action with a certain stunning Waldorf.

* * *

Nate and Dan were sitting in what could be called Dan's room (if one stretched the imagination), laughing about some youtube videos of the latest **90210** episode (Seriously? What kind of teen show had a death scene in the sixth episode?), when Vanessa appeared at the doorway. She was still wearing her roaring twenties get-up, and she looked like a goddess. Like an ambiguously ethnic, Brooklyn-bred Aphrodite.

Nate's mouth hung open and refused to close, and Dan cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Please stop," Vanessa laugh good-naturedly, very purposefully looking only at Dan when she spoke. "I know I look ridiculous."

"Believe it or not," Dan joked, "that actually wasn't the first word that popped into my mind."

Of course it wasn't, Nate thought. Beautiful, perfect, ethereal were all words that would have come before 'ridiculous.' He tried to open his mouth (not that it could get anymore open than it already was) to say something about it, but he thought better of it immediately.

"I was just modeling some new business proposals for Chuck," Vanessa explained, now taking the opportunity to glance at Nate out of the corner of her eye. He looked a little miffed about it. Good.

"And does Mr. Bass have a certain dress code for business meetings?" Dan inquired playfully, having also noticed Nate's expression and enjoying the game. Why not make him regret throwing away the best girl around?

Nate's blood was boiling. What the hell was Vanessa doing wearing that kind of thing around _Chuck_?

"Very funny." Vanessa rolled her eyes. "We're going to turn the bar into a jazz club."

"Oh, he went for it? That's great!" Dan smiled in congratulations.

"Actually, I was hoping to ask your advice about that…" Vanessa began, finally deigning to turn her attention to Nate so that he would leave the room.

"Oh," Nate nearly reddened, realizing he was unwelcome. "Um… I guess I'll just go... hang out with Jenny," he muttered, walking out the door. Either he was imagining things, or Dan's eyes flashed at that. Dan couldn't possibly know, could he?

Before leaving, he turned back around and said, "You look really nice, V."

Vanessa granted him a small smile, but it was her eyes that really captured his attention. They were shining brightly, happy to hear his voice, and he knew he still had a shot. If only he knew how to take it.

* * *

Chuck stepped into the Waldorf penthouse, hydrangeas in hand, and looked around the living room to see if Blair was there. He spotted her, lounging on the couch, reading a copy of Vogue, looking like the most beautiful angel to ever grace the earth.

"Waldorf," he greeted her, coming to her side before she could order Dorota to kick him out. "I come bearing gifts and apologies."

She put down her magazine and scoffed at him, but she could see her eyes melt a little when she spotted the flowers. He knew they were her favorite, because he knew everything about her. "I didn't even know you understood the concept of an apology," she replied, doing her best imitation of an angry voice.

"I was distracted this morning. Which is unforgivable, I know," he said, placing the hydrangeas on the table before her. "But you can imagine how indecent it would have been for me to do any of the things I actually _wanted _to do in broad daylight, outside my family's apartment building. What would the press think?"

She smiled a little in spite of herself. "...What kind of things did you want to do?" She inquired, turning to face him.

"Well..." He began, tracing the outline of her collarbone and letting his hand trail down her arms all the way to her thigh. "You know those tights you were wearing? It was all I could do to keep myself from ripping them off of you."

She shivered unconsciously and cursed herself. "That's why I wore them, " she admitted sheepishly. "I wanted you to rip them off."

Her expression turned cold once more when she remembered all the events of the morning. "Too bad you were too busy going on a date with Vanessa to even care." She couldn't believe she had just admitted to him that she **wanted **him. What the hell was her problem? Honesty was _not_ the best policy. If he wasn't touching her so delicately at the moment, maybe she'd have the presence of mind to actually make him leave.

He smiled at her softly and leaned in close, his breath falling on her neck. "I'm not with Vanessa. I'm not with anyone. I only want to be with you."

Once he could tell that she believed him (even if she didn't want to), he smirked. Pressing his lips to her ear, he whispered, "Now, I want you to go upstairs and put that little number back on. We'll re-enact what should have happened this morning."

She inhaled sharply, now completely terrified of what it all might mean. Also, perhaps she hadn't waxed well enough? Did she have the right perfume up in her room, or had she run out? Regardless of all the questions running through her mind, she did as she was told and ran up the stairs.

"I'll give you fifteen minutes before I come after you!" Chuck called up as he watched her go.

* * *

Nate was sitting on the couch, debating whether he should follow through and go to Jenny's room (so that he could listen in on Dan and Vanessa's conversation) or go visit Serena (so he could spy on Chuck, or else get some insider info from Eric), when Dan came out and sat next to him.

"What happened to your top-secret agenda with Vanessa?" Nate joked.

"I just thought I would give you some advice first," Dan answered.

Off Nate's curious look, he continued, "If you want V, you better act fast. Because—and I know I'm going to get shot for saying this, so never tell anyone—I think my sister might have a little crush on you." He winced as the Gods of Sibling Bonds rained fire and brimstone on him. He figured that Jenny would forgive him if she knew it was for a good cause.

"And if you give her any false impressions when _clearly_, you like Vanessa, I will be forced to murder you."

Nate found he was speechless, so he just nodded and held back the overwhelming desire to kill himself on the spot.

Dan clapped him on the back and walked back to his sad little room, shutting his door for privacy.

_I'm going to a very special place in Hell_, he told himself glumly.


	4. Everybody Gets That Way

**Jealousy Is Your Drug Of Choice**

Author's Note: Yay! The story contains no more spoilers, since episodes 7 and 8 aired. Aren't you excited? Some of you may have decided by now that I am Josh Schwartz in disguise, but alas. Gossip Girl is not mine. Summary: When Vanessa and Chuck start growing closer, Nate and Blair start growing worried.

--

**Chapter Four: Everybody Gets That Way**

Chuck slowly ran his hand down the length of Blair's perfect, nude figure as she sighed happily and leaned into him. He didn't know what it meant that they had finally given into their desires after so very long, but he was sure it had to be something good. She had said she wanted him, after all (not to mention all the many _other_ things she had said in bed—he loved it when she talked dirty). Hopefully that extended to whatever followed after the consummation. Of course, the thought of what might come **after** filled him with a dread that was altogether too familiar. He sure as hell didn't know how to be Prince Charming, which was all that Blair wanted.

Before he could panic outright, he put it out of his mind and instead turned his attention to Blair's collarbone.

"How is it possible…" He began, lightly fingering the small bone beneath her shoulder and closing his eyes at the sound of her breathy giggles. "That every inch of you…" He leaned down and kissed the spot right above her breasts, slowly working his way up to his favorite part: the nape of her neck. "Manages to be so…" She gasped softly, grabbing onto his hair by instinct, as he started licking her. "…So fucking beautiful?"

Blair pulled him up by his hair—a pain which he admittedly enjoyed—and kissed him hungrily on the lips. Granted, she didn't have much experience in the department, but she was almost positive that no other guy on the planet could make the post-coital part of sex so…_coital_.

She sighed longingly once they broke apart for air. "As much as I would like to do this all day—"

"As would I, Princess," he smirked, leaning down to kiss her again. "In fact, I have no issue with this suggestion."

She laughed and pushed him off with a smile. "Ah, but you need to leave now, so that I can get ready for Lily's housewarming party."

Chuck tried to keep his expression from darkening at being kicked out as he quickly grabbed his clothes off the floor and put them back on haphazardly.

Blair eyed him cautiously, wondering if she had angered him or if he was just done with her, having obtained what he wanted in the first place. "Chuck…" She said, barely above a whisper. But she didn't know how to complete the sentence.

"It's fine," he interrupted. "I'll see you there, and then you can tell me if you'd like to continue our rekindling, or if the fire's already out." He carefully avoided her gaze, choosing instead to stare at the wall behind her. He had no idea why he was so upset. It was stupid to think she wanted anything else in the first place. And, of course, neither did he. It was better that way.

As he started to make his way out the door, Blair put a hand on his shoulder and tried her luck. "Don't you…? I mean, would you pick me up?" He turned immediately with such a lopsided, puppy dog grin on his face that she felt she could die of happiness.

However, his face soon fell as he remembered his 'prior engagement,' and her hopes fell along with it. She mentally kicked herself for being so stupid and letting him get the best of her. Now he was just going to reject the offer and know he had something on her.

"I can't," he replied apologetically, removing her hand from his shoulder and taking it in his own. "I promised Vanessa I would take her... But I can send a car for you." He could tell from her expression that she didn't like that idea **at all**, so he tried to amend it. "And I'll be by your side the whole night. It's just that Nate's going to be there, so—"

"Do _not_ tell me you and Vanessa are going to go together to make Nate jealous," she cut him off sharply. "I think I'm going to be sick." She pulled her hand out of his grasp and used it to cover her mouth. _Damn it._ Maybe she could open the window and jump out. That would teach Chuck not to go chasing after Brooklyn when he could have **her**.

"What?" Chuck asked, honestly confused. "No, it's not like that. Trust me, I don't need Nathaniel to be any angrier with me than he already is. I just want him to _see_ her."

"Oh, spare me, Chuck!" She spit out angrily. "If you want to screw Vanessa Abrams, be my guest. But don't come around here trying to get any from _me_. I'm not going to touch anything that's passed through her hands."

Something flashed and then went dead in his eyes, and she immediately regretted what she had just said. Of course, whether he was just hurt by her words or whether he was defending Vanessa's 'honor' was unclear.

"I see," he finally spoke up, in a dangerously low voice. "Once again, that's all I am to you. I'm so glad I'm at least as high up on your list as your vibrator."

Blair opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"Don't worry, Blair," he added, turning the knob of her bedroom door. "You're going to get to use that vibrator a whole lot more now. Because **this** will never happen again."

And with that, he walked out of the room and slammed the door shut, leaving Blair to crumple like a pile of dead, raked leaves on the floor.

--

"Wow," Vanessa remarked as she took in the lavishly decorated living room around her, trying her hardest not to sound impressed. "Some housewarming. I'm just glad I didn't bring a casserole."

She made a face at him and he chuckled softly, but didn't laugh. He never laughed. She wondered why that was.

"My parents like to go all out," he explained, and she decided to let slide the fact that he was technically calling Lily van der Woodsen his mother. "They think it makes us look like more of a family."

Vanessa pouted a little at the tinge of sarcasm in his voice. It was weird to know someone who felt so cynical about family. Her family was eccentric, she knew, but she loved her parents and she loved her sister, and she wouldn't trade them for the world. Nate had always been the same about his family, though. Always depressed over some crap his parents were pulling on him. Maybe it was a rich kid thing?

Suddenly, she saw Chuck break into a nearly evil grin and almost groaned, bracing herself for what was to come.

"Don't look now," he whispered conspiratorially. "But I think Nathaniel just might be drooling."

Of course, Vanessa had to look. And, sure enough, there were Nate and Jenny, on the other side of the room. The second her eyes locked with his, he turned away and focused his attention on Chuck—shooting daggers at his best friend with his eyes.

Now it was Vanessa's turn to laugh. "Oh, Chuck. If looks could kill, you'd be a dead man."

Chuck nodded abruptly to Nate, and then rolled his eyes at Vanessa. "Believe me, I've had much worse from that guy. I'll survive."

--

In another corner of the room, Serena was pretending to look everywhere but in Vanessa's direction while Blair stared openly at the couple with a horror-stricken expression all over her face. Did Chuck just crack a smile? Why? Did Vanessa say something funny, or did Chuck suddenly find premature and unfounded moralizing amusing?

"What does he even see in her?" She hissed to Serena, who heaved a sigh and turned to finally look Vanessa over.

"I don't think he sees _anything_ in her, Blair, since he clearly likes you." After watching them for a moment longer, she added, "Besides, she keeps looking at Nate, so I don't think she sees anything in Chuck, either."

"Yeah, but Chuck is still looking at her!" Blair huffed.

"At her **and** at Nate," Serena corrected lovingly, trying to steer her best friend away from the train wreck she herself was creating.

But Blair did not pay attention to her best friend's soothing words and shook her head furiously, nearly biting through the inside of her cheek in an effort to keep from screaming.

--

Nate's eyes were about to bug out of his head at any moment. He didn't think he had ever stared at anyone or anything this intensely before, and it was starting to make his head hurt. He couldn't even pay attention to what Jenny was saying—something about "fashion" or "Agnes," perhaps? After all, most things in Jenny's life at the moment involved one of those two things, so it was as good a guess as any.

Eventually, Jenny paused long enough in her story to realize she had no audience. "Nate." She spoke his name in a tired voice, already knowing what to expect. How did her life get switched with Blair Waldorf's so suddenly?

Nate looked directly into her eyes and gave a small smile. "I was thinking you might like a drink," he offered gallantly.

Jenny smiled in agreement and didn't move as Nate kissed her on the cheek and moved towards the bar. A kiss on the cheek. _Burn_. She looked over at Vanessa and Chuck, chatting aimlessly and obliviously. She supposed she could hate her friend for it—Jenny herself had kind of asked for it, hadn't she? No one dated Nate Archibald and came out 100% satisfied. Maybe that was part of his charm.

--

"Can I get you a drink?" Chuck asked during the first full break in the conversation, eyeing Blair and hoping he could brush past her on his way to the bar. Maybe overhear part of the conversation, or somehow be included in it. He wondered if Serena would he helpful in this regard. Perhaps he should have equipped her with a little microphone before the party started?

Vanessa nodded gratefully and watched Chuck go, suddenly feeling very alone in a sea full of unknown or unfriendly faces. Unfriendly faces such as Blair Waldorf's, who was now quite obviously staring at her with an open, disbelieving mouth. Vanessa cocked her head and donned her best bitch face. Let Blair think what she wanted—if she wasn't going to fight for Chuck, then she should know he was free game. It angered Vanessa even more to think that Blair probably wasn't even upset; she was probably just jealous because she thought of Chuck as her property and didn't like Vanessa getting her dirty hands on him.

--

As Chuck approached his sister and Blair, as subtly as possible, his object of affection took off in the opposite direction without skipping a beat. Not subtle enough. Chuck contented himself with sliding up to Serena and putting his arm around her. "Feeling any more close-knit, sis?" He asked in his seductive voice. He loved pissing her off with all the incest possibilities.

Serena shrugged him off, but smiled to herself anyway. "No matter how close-knit we are, brother, dear," she returned smugly, "I'm still not telling you the contents of my previous conversation."

"You are a buzz kill," he informed her glumly.

"I do my best."

--

Blair approached Vanessa with as much confidence as she could muster. That little troll had no right to be here, anyway. No matter who had invited her.

"I hope you're enjoying the little escape from your dreary life," she greeted her newest mortal enemy with a smirk.

"Blair, do you ever get tired of exercising a power you don't have?" Vanessa asked with an eye roll.

"Excuse me?" Blair was taken off guard. In what world was this piece of Brooklyn trash trying to assert herself against a Waldorf?

"Face it. You lost." As she spoke, Blair's face was contorting more and more and Vanessa's own smile was growing wider. "You can't deal with the fact that you tried to use Chuck against me, and the only person who came out with less than they had before was _you_."

Blair scoffed, but couldn't keep her face from showing how truly stung she was. "Chuck still doesn't have any real feelings for you," she shot back, as meanly as she could manage. "He's just in love with that bar, that's all."

"I'm not really interested in your petty mind games," Vanessa retorted, attempting to move away from the conversation.

"Then why do you keep playing them?" Blair asked suddenly, effectively stopping Vanessa in her tracks. Once she knew she had the girl's full attention, she continued with renewed vigor. "You're clearly just using Chuck to make Nate jealous. What kind of person does that make **you**? If Chuck really does care about you, then you're being unnecessarily cruel."

Vanessa laughed in Blair's face. "Unbelievable." As she shook her head, she noticed the deadly serious expression her enemy was wearing. Blair actually looked like she might be worried about Chuck's well-being, to some extent. Searching Blair's eyes in an attempt to be unbiased (very very difficult, if the truth must be told), she spoke after a long silence. "Are you…Do you actually _like_ Chuck?"

Blair made a strangled noise in her throat. Ridiculous. "I'm not even going to grace that question with a response," she replied, turning away and staring at the wall in front of her.

And that was response enough. Vanessa cleared her throat and searched for something to say. "Look," she began in a straightforward tone. "I don't condone anyone hurting my friends or using them, like you seem to be doing with Chuck."

Blair opened her mouth to protest, but Vanessa cut her off in a friendly way.

"—Then again, I'm sure that, seen from your perspective, Chuck might seem to be hurting or using you." She took in Blair's slight nod and continued. "But I can tell you right now without any hesitation: Chuck loves you. And you'd be a fool to waste something like that. **If** you care about him, that is. If you don't, then get out of my face. Because I know how to throw down, and I'm not afraid to do it in the middle of this fancy party."

Blair gulped, still stuck on those three little words. "Did he…Did he say that?"

"He doesn't _have_ to say it," Vanessa explained in a sharp voice. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out." But Blair had already deflated slightly, so Vanessa decided it was best to repeatedly hit these kids on the head with blunt objects. "But if you must know… Yes, he has mentioned it on an occasion or two."

She thought she could see a tear or two springing to Blair's eyes. Tears of joy? The thought scared Vanessa a little. Why did the Upper East Cyborgs have to keep on showing how human they were? It was ruining her orderly view of the world.

Blair turned and began walking away, pausing momentarily to say "Thank you," but without looking back. She set her gaze on the bar and saw Nate and Chuck hovering dangerously close to each other over drinks on the other side of the room, adding, "Now if you'll excuse me, Nate is about to go defend your honor, and I'm about to go stop a brawl between two boys who shouldn't be punching _anyone._"

Vanessa followed Blair with her eyes and saw Nate starting to get up in Chuck's face while Chuck sipped calmly on a scotch. She allowed herself a little secret smile and waited to see what would happen.


	5. Shindig

**Jealousy Is Your Drug Of Choice**

Author's Note: I don't even remember how long it's been, lol, but I just knew I had to update. Sorry it took me so long.  
Summary: When Vanessa and Chuck start growing closer, Nate and Blair start growing worried.

**Chapter Five: Shindig**

Chuck calmly set down his drink and turned to face his (ex) best friend who, as usual, was getting all riled up over nothing. Before responding to his accusations, Chuck wondered to himself why he had ever put up with Nate's hissy fits in the first place. Maybe because Nate was the only person in the universe who had ever accepted all of him. _Oh, right. _Too bad that was no longer true.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Nate growled, inching ever closer to Chuck and attracting the attention of several bored party guests. "Parading around with your newest **conquest** right in front of Blair."

"Oh, please," Chuck replied, narrowing his eyes cruelly. "Don't pretend you ever gave a crap about Blair. This is all about you and your insatiable lust for Brooklyn girls."

Nate's hand curled into a fist against his will, but Chuck's next words kept him from actually following through with a punch.

"Isn't the littlest Humphrey enough for you?" Chuck asked, jerking his head towards a stricken Jenny on the other side of the room. She couldn't hear the conversation. But she could sure as hell piece things together.

Nate shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts of guilt and betrayal just as much as he was trying to convince Chuck. "Don't make this about her, Chuck. I'm talking about you using Vanessa as a pawn in your games with Blair. It's not fair!"

Chuck gave a low, guttural laugh. "Been there, done that. We've all moved on. Get with the program, Nathaniel."

No longer able to control himself, Nate grabbed Chuck's collar and pulled him close. There was an audible gasp from the now captive audience.

Jenny eyed the scene before her, debating whether she should break it up or let it continue. Was it really worth it to make a fool of herself in front of all these people? They obviously weren't fighting over her. She rolled her eyes, grabbed her bag, and left. Nate didn't notice, and she wasn't sure if she even wanted him to at this point. She had better things to do than get rescued by a boy who couldn't even save himself. On her way out, she gave Vanessa a little nod, as if to say, _I'm done here. Go for it._

And so it was not Jenny who stopped the boys from giving the InStyle reporters a peek into the real lives of UES royalty, but rather Blair. She stepped briskly in between them and pulled them apart with her petite hands.

"_What_ is going on here?" She asked in mock despair, scoffing at Nate's angry breathing and Chuck's Cheshire cat grin.

"Leave us alone, Blair," Nate answered roughly without looking at her. "We have something to take care of."

"Yes," Chuck agreed. "We were about to throw down over your honor. Or Vanessa's. Or Jenny's. I can never tell with Nathaniel here."

That comment set Nate off again and Blair had to dig her manicured fingernails into his hand to keep him in place. "Chuck," she hissed at the other boy. "This is a housewarming party. There is a magazine here. Do you really want to publicly humiliate your _family_?"

She knew that word would have the desired effect (it was a little unfair how much she knew about his wafer-thin soul) and, sure enough, Chuck straightened up as soon as he heard it.

"You're right," he nodded. "This is silly, Nathaniel. Let's just make up and call it a day." He stuck out his hand to shake Nate's, but Nate just stared at the proffered peace treaty.

"What, I'm supposed to shake your hand, and then we go our separate ways? You go destroy Vanessa, and I still don't have a best friend?"

Chuck's face darkened and he immediately withdrew his hand. "You're right about one thing – you **don't **have a best friend." He grabbed his scotch once more and shook off Blair's attempts and consolation. "If you'll both excuse me, I think I'll retire to my room."

Blair watched Chuck walk away, looking surprisingly defeated without his I'm-Chuck-Bass swagger, and then whirled around to confront Nate.

"What is your problem?" She chided him, ready to smack him around a little before realizing that Nate himself was looking a little worse for the wear.

"He really doesn't care anymore, does he?" Nate asked himself, a little bit in shock from the previous confrontation. He wasn't used to Chuck just giving up. Usually he was right there, sticking it in, not willing to turn away until Nate forgave him or agreed to whatever stupid idea he had in mind. But this past year had changed everything.

She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "Stop being dumb, Archibald. You clearly hurt his feelings – yes, I know, it's hard to believe he has them."

"How can you defend him? He's with Vanessa right in front of you." He searched her eyes for any sign of pain or defiance, but found nothing. "I really don't get you two."

Blair sighed and rolled her eyes – the only acceptable response when dealing with Nate Archibald, it seemed. "I think _you're_ the one that doesn't get it." She took a deep breath before taking pity on Nate and putting him out of his misery. "Chuck and Vanessa are just friends. Vanessa assured me of that. And you need to stop being a selfish jerk and cut poor Little J loose."

But Nate had already stopped listening, choosing instead to wander after Vanessa.

Blair smirked a little bit as she watched Nate run off like a little puppy. So it hadn't gone quite as she had expected but, with a little bit of luck, everyone would get their well-deserved happy ending. And with that thought in her mind, she went up the stairs and into Chuck's bedroom.

* * *

Vanessa saw Nate walking towards her and was at a loss for how to react. Part of her wanted to run away screaming and the other part wanted to grab him and kiss him.

"Vanessa…" Nate began when he reached her side, taking her hand in his. She smiled at him, relishing the feeling of his fingers around her own. Whenever he came near her, she forgot all about his checkered past and his lady friends and his wealth or lack thereof at any given time.

"I know you must hate me right now, but I want to explain," he continued fervently, reaching one hand up to stroke her cheek. "I care about you, so much, I've just been confused. I wasn't thinking when I got together with Jenny…"

The mention of her friend's name sparked something in her conscience and made her unwillingly pull away from him. She knew that Jenny was pretty much done with Nate – she had seen it in her eyes – but that didn't change the fact that he had been dating someone else just moments ago. How was she ever supposed to believe his words when he could move on so quickly from one girl to the next?

"I don't think we should have this conversation, Nate," she said quietly, trying to ignore how desperately she would like to continue the conversation instead.

"But, Vanessa, you don't understand," Nate insisted with a plea in his voice. "I want to be with **you**." He tried to hold onto her hand once more but failed to catch it.

"I don't think you know what you want," Vanessa replied sadly, turning away from him and heading out the door. Looking back momentarily, she said, "You can come back when you do."

Nate watched her walk away and felt his breath catch in his throat. He thought about chasing her down, but he didn't think it would do any good. Besides, she had a point. He had never once proven to her that she really mattered, and he had never made a legitimate choice in his life. Not with girls, not even with his college options. He hadn't even ended things with Jenny and he was already going after one of her best friends.

_Time to be a man, Archibald_, a voice that sounded much like Chuck's resounded in his head. He thought of his best friend, but quickly put it out of his mind. It was too much right now – he didn't need to be reminded of yet another area in which he had failed. He grabbed his jacket from coat check and headed to the Humphrey loft like a man headed towards his execution.

* * *

Blair knocked softly on Chuck's door, wondering if it was safe to enter. She didn't know if Chuck was still angry with her from earlier in the afternoon, and that compiled with frustration over Nate could turn into a very ugly situation indeed.

"I know it's you, Waldorf," Chuck called out and Blair smiled to herself. Of course he would know. "Come on in."

She opened the door and found him sprawled on his bed with that always trusty glass of scotch of his hand. She wondered what he did while he slept – did he have alcohol pumped into his system through an intravenous tube? She looked him over before opening her mouth to say anything. He looked impassive, like nothing in the world could ever affect him. It broke her heart a little to imagine all the things that emotionless expression hid.

"How can you drink so much of that?" She asked him with a smile. "You might as well be eating charcoal."

"What are you doing here, Blair?" He replied in a near-whisper. "We both know you're not here to convince me to join the AA."

She sat down on his bed next to him without giving it a second thought; it was the most natural thing in the world. "You know Nate's crazy about you," she joked, reaching up and running her fingers through his hair. "You two just have a few kinks to work out, that's all."

Chuck grimaced, but didn't push Blair off of him. "Why do you even care so much, B?" He wanted to sound annoyed or angry, but he just came out sounding a little tired.

"Believe it or not, Bass," she said sharply, "I care about **you**." She could see that he didn't want to accept it – he was probably too busy wallowing in self-pity – so she decided it was best to talk out their issues now.

"I'm sorry about today. I know nothing's happening with Vanessa. I was just… _jealous_." She couldn't hide the little smile that spread across her face. She felt embarrassed at admitting it, but she had to throw Chuck a bone if they were ever going to get anywhere.

Chuck's eyes lit up at the confirmation of Blair's jealousy, but he quickly shook it off. "There was nothing to be jealous of, so that doesn't even—"

"I was jealous of your connection with her," she interrupted suddenly. "You're nice to her. She's your friend. I was just…" Blair closed her eyes momentarily, not wanting to come face-to-face with her own fears. "I want to be the only girl you have feelings for. I want to be your…" She laughed at herself, but continued regardless. "I want to be your one and only."

Chuck set down his drink on the bedside table, then looked over at Blair, eying her with an intense interest. She looked ashamed, annoyed, embarrassed… Vulnerable. She looked like someone who was putting her heart on the line, and doing it for _him_. He had always known, and yet it hit him once more like a lightning bolt. This girl was the one for him, much to her own detriment. This was what love felt like.

He cupped her face in his hands and brought her close to him, breathing in her intoxicating scent before finally dragging his lips across hers. After one long, perfect kiss, he broke away to whisper in her ear: "You are, Blair. You're the only one."


	6. Someone You're Hoping To Recognize

**Jealousy Is Your Drug Of Choice**

Author's Note: Haha, so I know that the season has already ended and this story is therefore moot, but I wanted to update it regardless. Mostly, I wanted some real closure to the Chuck/Nate situation that this season certainly did not provide. You know I don't own GG, and I don't own these beautiful characters.

Summary: When Vanessa and Chuck start growing closer, Nate and Blair start growing worried.

--

**Chapter Six: Someone You're Hoping To Recognize**

Nate felt out of breath by the time he reached Vanessa's apartment. He had gotten lost on the subway at least three times, having at one point ended up in Queens going the wrong way on the F train. Pretty sad, considering it should have only been a five-minute ride on the train coming from the Humphrey loft. He could have just walked, but he thought it would prove something to Vanessa if he finally rode the subway after all those times of promising he would and not following through.

Why had he been at the Humphrey loft in the first place? Because he knew he had to end things with Jenny and face the wrath of Dan before Vanessa would have anything to do with him. He had bristled at the thought of actually undergoing any sort of 'ordeal' for a girl, seeing as it was not something he was used to. But if he wanted Vanessa, it had to be done. So he had knocked on the door and prepared to meet his maker.

* * *

Dan himself stepped out of the apartment, his face glowering at the sight of his now **former** roommate. "What do you think you're doing here?" He spat out, gripping the doorknob with a deadly force.

_Looks like Jenny told him what happened_, Nate bitterly noted. "Look, man, do you think we can talk about this inside? I really need to see J—"

Dan complied with his request by grabbing Nate's shirt collar and practically throwing him into the living room. "Sure. Sure we can talk inside."

Once they were safely in the loft with the door shut, Dan proceeded to shove Nate up against a wall. Nate thought about fighting back, but quickly decided he didn't have a right to do more than shrug the guy off.

"Can I please talk to Jenny?" Nate asked, wanting to get the conversation over with as soon as possible.

"Why would you do that?" Dan shot back, looking slightly less enraged but still very hardened to any Nate Archibald pleas. "Haven't you done enough damage by now? My sister, my best friend… You're lucky my dad doesn't know, really."

"Nothing's happened between Vanessa and I," Nate explained quickly. "And with Jenny…"

Her name seemed to fire Dan up all over again, and he grabbed Nate once more. "What about her? You thought it was cool to come in **my** house and mess with my _sister_?"

Before Nate could even get an apology out, Jenny walked into the scene and gave a disapproving look.

"Leave him alone, Dan. I'm not a child. I made my own decisions in this."

Dan grumpily complied, but still had more to say about it. "You're fifteen, and he should know something about boundaries. Or respect. Or decency." Then a strange look came over his face and he continued with, "Oh, wait! How could he? He's the guy that exchanged sex for—"

Nate cut him off before he could go any farther. "You have no right to judge me or my life, Dan! It's not like I'm some creepy older man stalking your sister, okay? I made a mistake, and I'm sorry." Taking a deep breath, he looked at Jenny and spoke again. "I owe my real apologies to your sister, so feel free to leave now."

Once it was just the two of them, Nate started getting nervous again, so he opted to stare at a blank space on the wall just above Jenny's head. "Um…" he managed to get out. "I know you probably hate me…" Very eloquent.

"Nate, I don't hate you," Jenny corrected with a carefree tone of voice. Very different from the sobbing one she had been using with her brother just hours ago. With time and clarity to compose herself, she had started seeing the situation in a new light. "It was my own fault. I shouldn't have gotten caught up, seeing as I already know the way you operate."

This turn of events flabbergasted poor Nate. "…**Operate**? What way that I operate?" What did that even mean? Nate had never thought of himself as a calculating guy. In fact, he never calculated _enough_ – that was usually the problem.

Jenny laughed a little at her phrasing. "You know what I mean," she amended. "It's the way you are. You don't really _fall_ for anyone. It's not your thing."

"That's not true!" Nate insisted eagerly. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't fall for people? What? That would make him some kind of robot. "I've fallen for plenty of people. And I **did** care about you, Jenny. I mean, I do care about you _now_. It's just that I –"

And suddenly, as if he has been struck by lightning, Nate understood exactly what Jenny was saying and felt like a fool. He even sat down on the couch to contemplate on the self-revelation he was experiencing. "Wow," he finally breathed. "I suck."

"A little bit," Jenny teased. "But, honestly, you can't help it. You just forget about people easily, I guess."

There was a long silence. Nate lowered his head to stare intently at the ground, and Jenny fidgeted with a little bit of thread that was coming undone from the hem of her dress. She would have to sew it later. Finally, she felt morally obligated to speak up and say her thoughts out loud. As much as she hated losing, it couldn't be so bad when the winner was deserving of the reward.

"You do seem to think about Vanessa more often than is normal for you, though…" She began tentatively, waiting for his head to bob up and his blue eyes to shine with something akin to hope. "Maybe you should talk to her. Maybe you guys have something there."

* * *

So that conversation was what had brought Nate all the way to Vanessa's door. He had gotten directions from Jenny and taken off like a little jackrabbit. Looking at her run-down building, he felt a little ashamed at being there in the first place. There was probably a reason she had never invited him over and was always meeting him at the art gallery instead.

But it shouldn't matter anyway. After all, Nate was homeless now. Who was he to judge anyone else's income level?

He rang the doorbell and tried to practice the speech he had been working on as he waited for Vanessa to come out.

When she finally did, the look of surprise etched on her features embarrassed him, took his breath away, and made him forget the entire contents of what he had been about to say. Instead, all he could get out was a meek, "Hi, V…"

Vanessa crossed her arms and patiently waited for him to formulate a full sentence.

"I talked to Jenny…" He explained, wondering if that was even a good place to start. "I'm not living with Dan anymore, I'm just…" No, that wasn't particularly helpful information, either.

He decided to try again. "These last few weeks, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I know that I haven't really appreciated you in the past, but I want to start now…"

Her face contorted in what seemed like pain, and he wondered why his words would be hurting her. Without thinking, he impulsively grabbed her hands and pulled her close to him, whispering, "I love you, Vanessa. Really. I mean it."

Having said the words, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He could say those words because he **did** love her. That was simple. It wasn't some empty mantra that he had to routinely spout off every day, and it certainly wasn't something he was afraid of. He wasn't some mindless, unfeeling womanizer who went from girl to girl, leaving a trail of broken hearts along the way. Okay, so he sort of was. But _now_ it would be different. He loved Vanessa, and he wanted to see her happy. He could be the one to make her happy.

Nate leaned in to kiss her, but Vanessa turned her head away and took a step back. "Nate, I really…" She felt a catch in her throat, but tried to keep her voice steady. "I can't do this right now."

"Vanessa, what's wrong?" He asked, gently cupping her face with his hands.

She smiled softly at his sweet gesture and moved her own hands to cover his. As much as she wanted to just take his words at face value and move forward in their merry-go-round relationship, she knew she had been a doormat for him one too many times.

"You say you love me," she began in as strong a voice as she could manage, "But how can I ever really believe you?"

"You can believe me," Nate insisted, but already he knew the battle was lost. What kind of proof could he offer even? It was the same thing Jenny had told him, but more painful now that he felt he had a lot more to lose.

"As far as I know, you just don't want to be alone after Jenny left you." Vanessa hated thinking of that possibility, but she knew that Nate had barely ever been single in his whole life. What if she was just a place holder until someone better came along?

Nate was silent for a moment. He wanted to yell that what she was thinking was completely false, but he understood exactly why she would believe it. After considering his options, he finally spoke again. "What do I have to do to get another chance with you?"

She let go of his hands and pretended to stroke her beard, a movement that managed to make him chuckle a little.

"Why don't we just regroup in a month?" She asked in a light-hearted voice. "If you've remained single in that time and still want to be with me, then we can talk about it."

Nate could tell she was teasing him a little, but he was more than willing to subscribe to her terms if it meant proving to himself and the world that he felt something real. He nodded solemnly and held up his right hand as if taking an oath.

"I promise you that, in exactly one month, I will come back here and request your hand to date. And Gossip Girl will attest that I have had no relationships in the meantime."

Vanessa giggled at his serious tone, and then nodded her assent.

"Now that that's out of the way," she declared once they were done being silly, "I think there's someone else you might want to make up with."

Nate sighed and looked away, not wanting to face a harsher reality than the one he was experiencing at the moment.

"I doubt Chuck will ever want to talk to me again," Nate grumbled under his breath.

"There will never be a time in which Chuck will stop wanting to talk to you," Vanessa assured him as she sent him on his way. "Now go and get your friend back."

* * *

Nate walked back to the subway to make his toward the Van der Bass apartment, but he somehow couldn't bring himself to believe Vanessa's parting words. Their friendship had experienced quite a strain in the last year, and they were just now starting to acknowledge it. He thought he had forgiven Chuck for sleeping with Blair long ago, but it still seemed like a permanent scar had been left on both of them. Nate found himself doubting Chuck's motivations; found himself begrudging Chuck's good fortune (if ever he had any). He couldn't stop himself from constantly jumping to the worst possible conclusion when Chuck was involved, and he knew his best friend had had about enough.

He asked himself if he even **wanted** to be friends with Chuck at this point, if it was so hard to trust him. The answer came swiftly and without any hesitation: _Yes. Of course_ he wanted to be friends with Chuck. Chuck had been his best friend for 12 years. He'd been through **everything** with the guy. And it wasn't his fault that Nate couldn't let go of a grudge. _He'd_ been the one who failed to appreciate Blair, and Chuck had been the one who had fallen in love with her. How could Nate hold that against him? Sure, Chuck had lied and kept secrets, but Nate had done the same thing when he had fallen for Serena, hadn't he?

What was it Serena had said to him so long ago? _There's nothing wrong with keeping a secret if the truth is going to hurt someone._

Surely Chuck had been operating under the same assumption.

* * *

Chuck stroked Blair's hair as he watched her sleep with a gorgeous little smile on her face. She looked so peaceful, so _beautiful_ in her sleep – and it gave him chills all over to know that he was partly responsible for that. The very idea that he could make a girl like Blair Waldorf happy was, well, unthinkable.

He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead and shoulder, pulling the covers over her naked body before going to the kitchen to get himself a drink of water. He was rather tired, but had no idea how he would ever get to sleep now that he had a Blair to stare at all night long.

Chuck's trek to the kitchen was interrupted, however, by the presence of one Nate Archibald in his family's living room. Chuck stopped dead at the sight of his best(?) friend and cleared his throat.

"My, my," he said without smiling. "It seems my timing is impeccable."

He gestured for Nate to sit down on the couch and moved to the sidebar to pour them both a drink. A visit with Nate would require much more than water to stomach.

"What, pray tell, brings you here, dear Nathaniel?" Chuck asked in his fakest, most polite voice, handing Nate his drink and sitting down in the armchair across from him.

Nate gave him a small smile that disarmed Chuck and rendered him unable to make any more flippant remarks.

"I know you're mad," Nate began, setting his drink down and leaning forward. "And you have a reason to be. I haven't been… Well, I haven't really been there for you."

Chuck nodded, knowing this was the closest he had ever come to getting an apology from Nate. Nate hardly ever admitted to making mistakes – so much so that Chuck had come to believe that Nate simply never did anything wrong.

After a short silence, Nate found the courage to continue. "The truth is, I haven't been completely honest with you lately. I've been mad at you, too, for a long time. I just never –"

"So that's what you're here for?" Chuck cut in angrily. "To tell me all about how mad you are?"

Nate shook his head. This wasn't what he wanted. "No, man. I just think we really need to talk. We haven't **talked** in a long time."

Chuck almost snorted. "Something tells me I'm going to need a joint for this," he grunted, getting up. "You want one?"

"Don't leave, please." Nate nearly grabbed Chuck's arm in an effort to keep him in the room. "I don't want anything but my best friend."

That sentence managed to stop Chuck in his tracks and get him to sit back down almost immediately. "Well, here I am," he replied in what could be considered a sweet voice, "If you'll have me, that is."

Nate smirked, choosing to ignore the possible innuendoes in Chuck's last sentence. He knew Chuck didn't want to hear about their problems, but he also knew they had to be talked about in order for them to get anywhere.

"I've been mad at you because of Blair, and I didn't even realize it until today," Nate explained.

"But I thought you forgave me last year," Chuck interrupted. "You said you had forgiven me."

"I know. I thought I had, but I guess I was wrong." Nate paused to recollect his thoughts – it wasn't often that he had to give any explanations, and certainly not often that he ever gave speeches of any kind.

"I guess I've just been having trouble trusting you. Every time you do something behind my back – even when it's totally harmless or even helpful – I just can't stop thinking about it as some huge betrayal." Nate flinched as he spoke; it was embarrassing to have to admit this to Chuck. He felt petty even saying it.

Chuck closed his eyes for a moment before answering. "I don't know what… I mean, I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that, don't you? I never **want** to hurt you. Blair was…" Here he faltered. Blair was _what_? What could he say to explain or excuse? He had already admitted to loving her, and that had changed nothing.

"That's just it!" Nate picked up, suddenly feeling invigorated. "Blair was _different_, I know. You love her. I know that, too." He stood up and began to pace before continuing, trying to piece his thoughts together now that he had a new thesis.

"I told you that I'd never heard you say that about anyone before, and I guess that's the problem. At first, I was angry that you had just used her and lied to me just to get off. But then, knowing that you **loved** her… I guess I felt left out."

Now Nate blushed, feeling mortified about what he had said and what he was feeling. He felt _left out_ because his best friend had fallen in love with a girl? How lame was that?

"I mean, you always used to say that I was one of the three things you cared about," he continued, his voice becoming more of a soft mumble as he went on. "And now something else has been added to the list, you know? So I just felt like… If you could pick Blair over me, how many other people could you end up picking?"

Chuck struggled not to laugh at this admission. He didn't know how to fix it or change anything, but it was such a relief that Nate's anger was still rooted in caring about Chuck rather than tiring of him.

"Trust me, Nathaniel," Chuck finally replied as he stood up and walked over to his best friend. "Caring about you and Blair at the same time is hard enough. It's unlikely I'll be able to make room to pick anyone else over you."

At these words, Nate broke out into an uneasy smile, but could not find any words to reply.

"I'm sorry about Blair." Chuck's tone was more sincere than it had been the entire conversation. "I should have told you from the beginning how I felt about her, but I was scared. I mean, I didn't want to believe that I cared about her, but I also didn't want to believe I had done that to you, you know? I was scared you'd leave when you found out. Which you did. I just… I didn't want to lose you. I thought I could keep you as my best friend and get Blair to fall in love with me on the down-low. It was selfish."

Nate turned to Chuck and nodded; he understood more than anyone. He had hoped to keep Blair and get Serena to fall in love with him on the down-low, hadn't he? Wanting Serena hadn't stopped him from loving Blair, it was just two different kinds of love.

"I guess I'll just have to resign myself," Nate sighed good-naturedly, "to the fact that, all these years, you haven't been hiding your love for _me_ behind a row of women – you've been hiding your love for **Blair**."

"That's one fantasy of yours I'm not interested in pursuing, Archibald." Chuck laughed, then looked down at his watch and realized how late it was. "Do you want to stay over or something?"

Nate attempted to shrug nonchalantly. "How long would you be willing to have me?"

_Oh, right. _Chuck remembered his friend was homeless for now and cursed himself for not inviting him sooner. "You can stay as long as you like," he replied. "But you'll have to take the couch tonight. In the future, you can stay in my room, but I have a guest right now."

Nate smiled. "So, you and Blair? Back on, then?"

Chuck nodded. "For good, I hope."

"I'm really happy for you guys," Nate said. And, this time, he knew he meant it.


End file.
